Panama: It is a lie that US government ships can pass through the canal for free

The US State Department claimed that US government ships could pass through the Panama Canal for free, while Panama's president accused the US of lying.

The U.S. State Department said in a social media post Wednesday that the Panamanian government has agreed to stop charging U.S. government ships to pass through the canal, saving the United States millions of dollars a year. According to Reuters, Panamanian President Jose Manuel Mulino on Thursday criticized the U.S. government for lying and resolutely opposed the management of relations between the two countries on the basis of lies and disinformation.

The Panama Canal Authority had earlier denied that it would allow free passage for U.S. government ships. Agence France-Presse reported that the authority said in a statement that it had the authority to set tolls and other fees for passage through the canal, but had not made any adjustments to those fees.

Since US President Donald Trump took office, the Panama Canal has become the focus of international attention. The canal was built by the United States, and after the Panama Canal Treaty was signed in 1977, Washington handed over control of the canal to Pakistan.

Trump has previously claimed that the canal is actually operated by China and that Panama is violating the agreement and should return control of the canal to the United States. Mulino insisted he would not give up control of the canal and said there was no real threat to the validity of the treaty.